


Of Coursework, Christmas and Unexpected Happiness

by LikeASpeedingArrow



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Christmas Parties, M/M, Mistletoe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-20 15:47:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13149849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LikeASpeedingArrow/pseuds/LikeASpeedingArrow
Summary: Barry just wants to get through his remaining work. Cisco wants to go to a party. Despite Barry’s reluctance maybe the party won’t be so bad. Who knew Mistletoe could bring unexpected happiness. College AU.





	Of Coursework, Christmas and Unexpected Happiness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LegendsofSnark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LegendsofSnark/gifts).



> For the wonderful Kels . Merry Christmas! I know its not exactly what you asked for but I hope you enjoy it anyway. My first attempt at a College AU, so I hope it makes people smile.

Barry flicked through his textbook as he watched the campus’ population wander lightly around the grassy quad, he sighed in frustration wishing that he could just finish this last criminology assignment. His pen dropped onto the page in front of him as a coffee cup was slammed in front of him. “Hmm… Coffee,” Barry groaned, his hand reaching blindly in front of him.

“Oh man.” The voice of his best friend washed over his groggy conscience. “You look rough,” There were many times Barry could say that he appreciated Cisco, this… This was not one of those times. He shot Cisco a glare but his target didn’t seem fazed. “Like, Victor from Corpse Bride rough. You okay man?”

Barry’s hand finally wrapped around the elusive cup, his whole posture relaxing. “I’m stressed. Cisco this thing,” Barry looked at the paper in front of him in disgust. “is due in two days, two! I’m not even halfway through yet and I promised Iris I’d take her shopping for Joe’s Christmas present and—”

“Stop!” Cisco shook his head. “You’re giving me a headache, come on man it’s nearly Christmas.” Cisco leaned back in his chair, the front two legs of it lifting off the ground.

“Careful,” Barry warned, returning to his coursework.

Bang.

“Ow!”

Barry rolled his eyes, “What did I just say?”

“Careful?”

Barry nodded, getting up from his seat to help his friend up. “You idiot.” He stated, exasperated. He missed the glint in Cisco’s eyes as he pulled the other male up from the floor.

* * *

 

“Where are you taking me?”

“You’ll see!” Cisco responded. Barry was really starting to hate that response, it had grown steadily darker around them as they made their journey and Barry was really starting to hate his supposed friend. Iris was going to kill him. “Right… Here!”

“Finally.”

“Cisco, it’s so good to see you.”

“You brought me to some stranger’s house? Cisco!” Barry bit out, frustrated. “Iris is so going to kill me.”

“No, I took you to a party. Laurel, lovely to see you.” Cisco stepped further into the house, leaving Barry bewildered.

Barry sighed in resignation. “If I do die,“He told Laurel, who’d remained to hold open the door. “He is not invited to my funeral.” He let out a small smile as Laurel laughed.

* * *

 

Barry felt out of place. He glanced around the room nervously, noticing the designer brand clothes of the other, obviously rich, guests. His fingers gripped the plastic cup in his hand a little tighter as his eyes flickered around the room, darting past the unknown faces in search of a familiar one.

His breathing grew shorter. Harsher, as though he couldn’t figure out how to get oxygen into himself. Faces grew more blurry, the sounds duller, even as he felt the vibrations of the music sweeping through the floor below him

He didn’t remember dropping the cup. Nor did he see who caught it. He only knew that one moment it was secure in his clenched hand and the next it was neatly placed on the table in front of him.

Then he heard it. The low voice in his ear, whispering something he couldn’t quite decipher in this state.

Whatever was going on was working though. His breathing began to even out and all of a sudden he could hear and he could feel. He could hear the soothing voice in his ear, “You’re safe, it’s okay. Find a happy place.”

So that’s what he did. Or, well more accurately, tried to do. With every attempt, his mind wandered. Back to the worst night of his life. He could feel himself grow tenser at the memory, only relaxing as someone’s thumb brushed over the space between his shoulder blades. He let out a sound like a purr and then turned around, horrified.

“I-I… “His brain stuttered to a halt. This was Oliver Queen. The captain of the university’s archery club that Iris wouldn’t shut up about. Barry faced two realisations now. First, Iris was right and damn she was going to be absolutely insufferable. Second, Oliver Queen was equal parts attractive and intimidating.

Of course, then Barry had to realise that more than ten seconds had passed and he was still staring. A blush formed on his cheeks.

“Hi, Barry Allen right?” Oliver said brightly. Ever the perfect host, he was holding two drinks in his hands.

Blushing even more, Barry ducked his head slightly. “Yeah, thanks.” He wrapped a hand around his new drink, shuffling his weight from one foot to the other. “So, uh…” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“So.”

Barry’s eyes searched the room for a glimpse of the dark hair of the person who had dragged him here. His expression became one of pure panic as he realised he was on his own. With Oliver Queen. Great. Barry was probably going to make a fool of himself. “Great party.”

Oliver suddenly leant against the wall. “You look uncomfortable.”

Barry wanted to die. Right in this moment, he wished he had the power of invisibility just so that he could hide. “Parties aren’t really my thing.” Truthfully, he wanted to be anywhere but here. The music was too loud, the vibrations from the speakers travelling through the walls and people were too close together, it made him hyperventilate.

Oliver was looking at him contemplatively again. “I get that.”

“You do?”

“Tabloids are sharks.” Oliver winked. “Come on we can go somewhere quieter.”

“I uh actually have some coursework left to do that Cisco dragged me away from. I should probably be heading home.” To be murdered, he added silently.

“I have some too. Come on.”

* * *

 

The house, as it turned out, was huge. Barry followed Oliver past half a dozen trees, down multiple fully decorated corridors and up a flight of stairs when he suddenly froze. “Everything okay?”

Barry studied Oliver’s face from the angle he could see it. His eyebrows were set in a position conveying confusion, his mouth closed in a small frown and his jaw set in stubborn defiance of something. “Mistletoe.”

Barry glanced up. “Right.”

“Do you mind if I–”

Barry cut him off with a shake of his head and Oliver leaned forward. Slowly he brushed his lips against Barry’s own as his hand fell onto Barry’s hip. Barry wrapped his arm around Oliver’s waist groaning as he deepened the kiss, fireworks exploding in his vision and a pleasant tingle making its way through every inch of his body. He would love to blame it on alcohol but truthfully he knew he hadn’t drunk that too much, he wished he knew Oliver’s thoughts though.

All too soon they broke apart.

“Wow.”

“Wow.”

“That was–”

“Something.” The two stared at each other for a while and wow Oliver’s eyes were blue. Barry could get lost in those eyes, as endless as the ocean yet as clear as Central City’s river. He was still panting slightly, his hand resting lightly on his companion’s muscular back. He could feel Oliver’s gaze on him, studying him in a similar fashion.

The moment was broken as one of the doors in front of them opened with a crash as the wooden door impacted the wall beside it. Two men came out (one dressed in a suit and the other, strangely, in a parka) as Barry stared in shock. Oliver merely raised an eyebrow.

“Oliver.”

“Ray.” Barry noticed a smirk of amusement cross Oliver’s face.

“Snart?”

“Allen.”

Barry felt Oliver’s hand gently wrap around his wrist. “Having a good time?”

“Yeah.”

“We’ll leave you to it, come on Barry.” Barry had no complaints.

* * *

 

Barry wasn’t sure what he was expecting Oliver’s room to be like truthfully. The media had always portrayed him as a party boy so maybe some alcohol or some posters of girls perhaps but this, this was nice. Archery posters lined the walls and a bow stood proudly by the desk. The wooden furniture was decorated with emerald green fabric and green curtains hung on the window.

He’d learnt that Oliver was a Business major, particularly focusing on management since his parents wanted him to take over the family business once he’d graduated. He’d also learned that Oliver didn’t want to.

The subject of his musings was frowning, his body bent slightly as he stared at his laptop his finger hovering over the submit button.

“You’re staring.”

Barry blinked. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologise. Is everything okay?”

“It’s stupid.”

“I doubt that.”

Barry sighed. “Christmas was always my mother’s favourite holiday. We’d gather in the living room, my dad would always chase me around the room while my mother laughed and then we’d exchange presents. I miss her.”

Oliver swallowed. “What happened?”

Barry felt a tear trail down his face, Oliver’s thumb brushing the back of his hand soothingly. Barry closed his eyes, composing himself. “She was… murdered when I was eleven. The culprit framed my father.”

Oliver felt like he’d been punched in the gut. “Barry.” Barry looked at him. “You can always talk to me. Do you understand?”

Barry nodded.

* * *

 

Joe always went all out. Barry couldn’t help but feel cheerful as he joined his foster family in front of the tree. Iris was doing her best to keep him happy even as she did her usual routine of rearranging all of the ornaments she could reach. Joe chuckled at her antics even as Barry rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

Joe had swapped his usual jazz for a Christmas album, adding to the festive feeling but despite this Barry’s mind was miles away, replaying the memory of the events of the party, the feel of Oliver’s lips on his, the way his skin felt under his palm.

He was brought out of his reprieve by Iris handing him a present. “Here.”

“Merry Christmas Iris.”

“Merry Christmas Bear.”

Barry handed her a present. “On three. One, two… Three.” The two tore into the presents with glee, the torn paper littering the floor beneath them. Barry ran his hand along the new wallet Iris had bought him as she examined the small figurine of a ballerina he’d bought her.

Iris wandered off into the kitchen in search of her dad and Barry suddenly noticed an extra present, innocently lying tucked in a corner just behind the tree. Being raised by a cop had taught him to be careful but his natural and well-developed curiosity got the better of him.

He carefully made his way to the tree, picking up the small box that was wrapped with some arrow covered green wrapping paper and secured with a scarlet red bow. A grin began to grow on his face as he quickly realised it was from Oliver.

In the box he found a letter addressed to him, a small, decorated arrow pin and what looked to be a flash card from Oliver’s substantial stock bearing a message for him. Who knew Oliver could be such a sap?

He pulled out his phone and composed a two-word text message to Oliver. “Absolutely. Yes.” He now had a boyfriend.

His smile refused to move from his face for the rest of the night.


End file.
